Knitting machine



M. C. MILLER KNITTING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 9, 1932 Jan.26, 1937. M. c. MILLER KNITTING MACHINE Filed March 9, 1932 3Sheets-Sheet 2 Jan. 26, 1937.

M. c. MILLER 2,068,688

KNITTING MACHINE Filed March 9, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 THTVWTKT 75 I5 6969 1 69 H6 I5 5 assembly of the points.

Patented Jan. 23," 1937 UNIT-E STATES PATENT OFFICE Max 0. Miller,Cumberland, R. I.

Application March 9, 1932, Serial No. 597,743

7 Claims.

The present invention relates to knitting machines, and is hereindisclosed as specifically embodied in a flat full-fashioned cotton typemachine. The primary object of the present invention is to provide amachine for knitting non-run loop fabric having the generalcharacteristics of the fabric described in the co-pending application ofthe present applicant Serial No. 594,834, filed February 24, 1932, forKnitted fabric and method of producing the same.

More specifically it is an object of the invention to provide a knittingmachine which is adapted for knitting designated courses to cause aplurality of needle loops of a course to be drawn through a single loopof a preceding course, so that each of the single loops treated in thismanner will be supported, as additional courses of the fabric areknitted, by two or more series of loops forming separate fabric wales.

Another object of the invention. is to provide mechanism of this generaldescription which is readily applicable to existing types of machine,and operates to lift and spread designated needle loops over a pluralityof needles, so that each of the loops formed by these needles on thenext succeeding course, will be drawn through the same loop.

Another object of the invention is to provide novel .and improvedinstrumentalities for handling yarn, which while particularly adaptedfor use in connection with the flat Cotton type machine herein disclosedfor knitting non-run looped fabric, are well adapted for use in othertypes of machines, and for knitting other types of fabric. v

With these and other objects in view, as may hereinafter appear, aprincipal feature of the invention consists in the provision of a looplifting mechanism which is arranged to engage with and lift designatedneedle loops from the needles, and to spread these loops over aplurality of needles, so that each of the loops taken by these needlesin the next succeeding course of knitting, will be drawn through thespread loops.

Another feature of the invention consists in the provision of novel andimproved loop lifting instrumentalities comprising loop lifting pointswhich are simple and sturdy in construction, economical of space, andreadily mounted in the support to securea firm and accurately alignedThe several features of the invention consist also in the devices,combinations and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimedwhich, together with the advantages to be obtained thereby will bereadily understood by one skilled in the art from the followingdescription taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in whichFig. 1 is an end view cross section of a part of a flat full-fashionedCotton type machine with the new mechanism applied thereto; Fig. 2 is afront view elevation of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an end view cross section ofthe machine with various parts omitted to illustrate particularly thecontrol mechanism for the loop lifting and spreading mechanism; Fig. 4is a detail view in front elevation of the cam, controlling the positionof the loop lifting points lengthwise of the machine, as shown in Fig.3; Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view showing the development of the cam inFig. 4; Fig. 6 is an enlarged end view of the cooperating point barsused in the new structure; Fig. '7 is a sectional view of the pointstaken on the line 'I-Jo'f Fig.6 Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic drawing of thefabric on the needles at the time both sets of points are in engagementwith their respective needles and their loops; Fig. 9 is a diagrammaticdrawing of the fabric on the needles with the smaller points remainingin engagement with their cooperating needles as the larger points aredrawn away from the needles prior to being shifted endwise; Fig. 10 is adiagrammatic drawing of the fabric on the needles showing the small setof points still in engagement with their respective needles, and withthe larger points shifted sideways and co-acting with adjoining needles;Fig. 11 is an end view illustrating a preferred form of loop liftingpoint and the supporting bar; Fig. 12 is a partial section taken on theline I 2-l2 of Fig. 11 showing the point grooves in the point supportbar; Fig. 13 is an-enlarged detail view in side elevation of the newloop lifting point; Fig. 14 is a front elevation of the point vshown inFig. 13; Fig. 15 is a cross section taken on the line l5-l5 of Fig. 13;and Fig. 16 is a section taken on the line |6--l6 of Fig. 13.

As illustrated in the drawings, the invention is disclosed in apreferred form as applied to a flat full-fashioned Cotton type knittingmachine provided with a narrowing machine attachment of ordinarydescription and arranged to have the ordinary mode of operation of thesemachines. In carrying out the invention, mechanism has been providedwhich is arranged to transfer a portion of each of certain needle Waleloops to adjoining needles while retaining the other portion of suchelements which may be similar to the ordinary 5 picot bar utilized onthese machines, and an additional set of loop lifting elements which arearranged to cooperate therewith, The two sets of points are arranged toengage with each other and with the needles, so that the needle loopswill be cast off from the needles onto the superimposed points, one setthen being moved relatively to the other to register these points withadjacent needles, thus causing the loops to be spread over two needles,so that two needle loops of the next succeeding course will be drawnthrough each one of the spread loops.

In the drawings, the needles are indicated at I,

the needle bed for supporting the needles at 2, the sinkers at 3, thecatch bar at 4, the fixed pressing surfaces at 5, and the sinker headsupport at 6. A narrowing machine of ordinary con: struction is providedwhich comprises the usual narrowing machine rod I carried on the arms 8pivotally mounted on,a rod 9 on the rear side of the machine. Secured tothe rod 1 are the hangers I0 carrying the bars II and I2 to which arefastened the narrowing point units l3 and M in accordance with the usualpractice. The rod 1 is also provided with brackets arranged to receivethe picot rod l5 which carries pivotally mounted thereon the hangers l6rigidily secured at their lower ends to the picot bar H on which arefastened the picot points H3. The picot bar I! is rigidly secured inoperative position to turn with the rod 1, or can be moved relativelythereto and latched out of operative position by means of aspring-pressed plunger l9 mounted in a bracket 29 secured to the rod 1,and arranged to engage alternatively with two slots 2| or 22 in the faceof a disk-shaped extension 23 formed. on one of the hangers Hi.

The entire narrowing machine assembly mounted on the arms 8 is supportedin the usual manner by a vertical link 24 secured at its upper end to abracket on the rod I, and at its lower end connected to a laterallyextending cam lever arm 25 which is pivoted at 26 on the machine frame,and

is provided intermediate its length with a cam roll a arranged normallyto ride on an idler roll on the cam shaft 21 for the machine, and whenrendered operative by the usual lengthwise shifting of the shaft, toengage with its actuating cam a. Inasmuch as the movements imparted tothe narrowing machine .by the cam a and the cooperating movements of theneedles during the operation of the narrowing machine and the relative Itiming of these elements are preferably the same as normally employed inmachines of this description, further illustration of the movementsimparted to the narrowing machine as a whole and the needle movementscooperating therewith, is believed unnecessary, and has been omitted.

The new mechanism consists of the arms 28 supporting the new pointcontrol rod 29, to which is fastened for swinging movement the arms 30which form a rigid part of the new point bar 3| and to which arefastened the points 32. There are further provided the spring plungersupports 33, rigidly fastened to the rod 29 and fitted with a springplunger 34 which engages either in the notch 35 or '36, the former forlocking the points in the working position and the latter for holdingthem swung upwardly in their idle position. There arms 9, so that uponnormal up and. down movement of the narrowing machine, no in and outmovement need betransmitted to the points 32. The arcuate slot 39 isformed in the lever M which is rigidly fastened to a shaft 4! extendingthroughout the machine length, said shaft having fastened to it, at someportion of its length, a lever 42 which is provided at its lower endwith a cam roll 0 arranged to engage with an idler cam on the main camshaft 2! of the machine. Inasmuch as the inner points 32 with the modeof operation of the parts herein set forth are given a simple arcuatemovement about the pivot shaft 9 of the narrowing machine, and arebrought into and out of engagement with the needles by the usual in andout movements imparted to the needle bar during the operation of thenarrowing mechanism, the shaft-4| and lever 42 are maintained at alltimes in a constant position, the idler cam engaging the roll 0, beingarranged for this purpose to maintain its engaging contact therewithwhen the cam shaft 21- is shifted endwise in the usual manner to bringthe narrowing machine into operation. A tension spring acts on the lever42 to maintain the roll 0 in engaging contact with its cam. At its upperend the slot 39 is cut away at one side; so that with the parts as shownin Fig. 1, the lever 37 and roll 38 may be disconnected therefrom andmoved in a counterwardly to inoperative position where it is held by theengagement of the spring plunger 34 with the notch 36.

The new mechanism also consists in the addition of a lever which isrigidly fastened to the present picot rod I5, and is provided at itslower end with a pin 46 arranged to engage in an arcuate slot 41 formedin the upper end of a lever it secured to a shaft 49 which extendsthroughout the length of the machine. The angular position of the shaft49 and lever 48 are determined by means of a cam lever 59 which isprovided at its lower end with a roll b arranged to engage during theoperation of the narrowing device with a corresponding cam b on the camshaft 21. A spring M is arranged to maintain the lever 50 and roll b incontact with its cam I). These parts similar in their construction andoperation to those described for controlling the position of the points32, and are arranged for the normal position of the control lever 58illustrated in Fig. 1, to impart an arcuate movement to the points aboutthe pivotof the links 8 on which the narrowing machine is supported. Thecam b as hereinafter more fully pointed out, is designed to impart arocking movement to the shaft 59 and lever 48 at a predeterminedpoint inthe cycle of operation of the narrow machine, to rock the picot rod 15and move the loop lifting points l8 rearwardly out of engagement withthe points 32, so that the points l8 may be racked lengthwise of theneedle series, and thereafter to advance them into engaging contact withthe next adjacent needles.

While with the construction set forth in the drawings the control lever59 is controlled in a single position by the operation of the roll 0 tomaintain a constant angular position of the point control rod 29 withrelation to the narrowing machine frame, it will readily be seen thatthis mechanism could be adapted to provide a forward and back movementof the points 32, and thus permit a modification of the movements nowimimparted to the loop lifting points l8 and 32 by means of a shiftingcam disk 54 (see Figs. 3, 4 and 5) loosely mounted to turn on thenarrowing machine rod 1, and provided on one face thereof with twosurface cams 55 an d 56 arranged to engage with the ends respectively ofthe bars 29 and I 5 which areheld yieldingly in engagement with the camby spring means of ordinary description not here shown. The camdi'sk 54is actuated in timed relation to the operation of the narrowing machineto produce the required positioning movements of the points lengthwiseof the needle series by means of a ratchet 51 formed on the periphery ofthe disk 5t. and a pawl 58 arranged to engage therewith and supported ona short arm 59 pivoted to the shaft 8. Movement is imparted to the pawlto give a step-by-step advance to the disk 54 through connections whichinclude a link 60 connected at one end to the pawl arm 59 and at itsother end to the-upwardly extending arm of a cam lever 5| pivoted on theshaft 9, and at its lower end provided'with a cam roll d which isarranged during the narrowing operation to rideon a corresponding cam12' on the cam shaft 21. During the normal operation of the machine, theroll, d rides on an idler cam adjacent to the cam 11', being transferredto the cam d by the endwise shifting of the cam shaft to throw thenarrowing machine into operation. A spring 62 is connected to the lower.end of the cam lever 6i, and tends to maintain the roll (1 at all timesin engagement with its cam.

Figs. 11 to 16 inclusive of the drawings, illustrate a preferred form ofloop lifting point which is particularly adapted for use in carrying outthe present invention, although it may be applied to advantage inknitting machines generally for lifting and transferring loops from theneedles, The ordinary point or loop lifting implement commonly used oncotton machines which is formed of a round piece of wire with a buttoifset at approximately right-angles to the shanks, and with the loweror needle engaging portion milled or die-struck to form a groove forengaging the needle, has certain imperfections which while not greatlyinterfering with its practical use in present day machines, become ofgreat importance when the implement is utilized in connection with themechanism herein disclosed for registering accurately two sets of pointswith each other and with the needles.

While the art of milling, striking, coin stamping or otherwise formingthe groove of-these points has been developed to a remarkable degree ofaccuracy, it is nevertheless difllcult to assure that the grooves areabsolutely central with the outer portion of the shank of the points. Itis also impractical to have the groove of nearly the point width, for byso doing the edges of the groove break down and present rough surfacesagainst which the yarn of the loops .will later be cut or. otherwisedisturbed.

The present method of mounting points in their supports is to drillsmall holes in the supports. in-

which the butts of the points are placed. The drilling of these holes isexpensive, due to their extremely small diameter, and in many casesresults in the running off or disalignment of the drill, so that when apoint is later inserted in this out-of-square hole, the point istwisted, which makes it diflicult for later alignment with any needlewith which it later may be associated.

'Also in the bending of the butt of the point, it

sometimes happens that the bending is not parallel to the point groovewhich will cause the point to be twisted when it is inserted in itssupport.

The new point is produced from thin, flat stock which insures the groovebeing the full width of the point (less the wall thickness), the widthbeing held very accurately due to the use of fiat stock. Further, theinside of the groove will, by the very nature of the method ofproduction, be smooth.

Instead of drilling holes in the point support,-

the new invention contemplates bending a part of the stock of which thepoint is made at right angles to the shank and entering this bentportion into a groove cut into the point support at right angles to thepoint grooves. To hold this new point from turning, the upper shank ofthe point, instead of being formed in the ordinary U section will beformed V shaped, so that this portion of the shank will fit into the Vgrooves ordinarily cut into the point supporting member.

As shown in Figs. 11 to 16 inclusive, the point support or bar isindicated at 64, and is provided with anarrow slot 66 running lengthwiseof the support to receive the offset butts 61 of the points, andV-shaped grooves 68 to receive the correspondingly V-shaped shankportions 69 of the points. The points are clamped in position in thesupport by means of a cover plate 10 and clamping screw 72; The needleengaging portion of the point indicated at M is bent or molded into asemi-circular shape (as shown in Fig. 16), so that the pointswill fitsnugly about the needles,

and may be placed one within another as shownin Fig. 7 to take up theleast possible amount of space and permit the needle loop to be readilycast off from the needle onto the point.

lows:

As is customary in the present cotton machine construction, andas/previously explained, the new point bar can be swung from its ldleposition into the position shown in Fig. 1, the regular picot bar I!having previously been swung into its active position so that thenarrower po nt 32. due to the end control mechanism of the rods l5 and29, can be al gned and buried in the picot points as shown in Figs. 1and 6, the spring plungers l9 and 34 effectively holding the points inthis position, with the pins 46 and 38 holding the points in thisrelationship during the downward movement of the narrowing machine fromthe position shown in Fig. 1.

The points so locked into eachother now move downward as in the presentwell-known looplifting movement and engage with their respective needlesas shownin Fig. 8, and when so engaged move downward with the needlesuntil the needles. with which the points are associated. cast off theirloops onto the points. after which the points and needles move upwardlyuntil the ends of the points are above the knockover bits. all of.thesemovements being thefi ame as is customary in anv loop-lifting. operationin fullfashioned machines. Thereafter. the points lg move away from thepo nts 32. stretching their loops'as shown in F g. 9. this movementbeing suiflcient to then permit the points Hi to move In operation, themechanism functions as foloperation, which may take place on the sameneedles or adjoining needles, and due to the endwise shiftability of therods i and 29, may be either to the right or to the left depending onthe contours of the face cams 55 and 56, thereby,

making it possible to produce a great variety of fabric structures andall of the structures shown in the copending fabric application abovereferred to.

\ Assuming that the machine has finished a plain course of fabric, andit is desired to transpose the loops of this course; the cam shaftshifts, when the roller a of the narrowing machine reaches the positiona, Fig. 3, thereby aligning the narrowing machine rollers a with theircams a, as well as aligning the d cam with its roller d and the b' camwith its roller b, the d roller being part of the ratchet mechanism,while the b roller controls the movement of the lever 48.

'We will assume that prior to the shift,-the

thick and thin points are in line with each other and aligned withneedles K, Fig. 8, the pointbar rods 29 and I5 being against theirshifting cams, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5.

Continued rotation of the cam shaft willlower the narrowing machine, thethick and thin points simultaneously engaging with their needles, as

shown in Fig. 8; The narrowing machine con-. tinues downward and then:upward until the roller a reaches the A-posltion of its cam, Fig. 3,which is at the time the points are clear of the knockover bits, readyto be shifted. All shifting must take place between A and A, Fig. 3, asbetween these points the narrowing cam is radial and holds the narrowingmachine with the points just above the knockover bits. Y

At the time the narrowing machine roller a.-

is opposite the A portion of its cam, the b roller which controls theshaft 49 with its levers E8, is opposite its Bi position. As the camshaft now continues to rotate, the roller b moving down the decline ofits cam to B2, moves the levers t8 in a direction toward the left, Fig.l, and as these levers controLthe levers 45, the large points If; willbe caused to move away from the narrowing points 32 as shown in Fig. 9and dotted lines in Fig. 6, the points remaining in this separatedposition while the cam shaft moves from. 132 to B3. It is while thepoints areso separated that the roller d in moving to the position D3 ofthe cam shaft rides up its cam incline and thereby causes a. racking. ofthe drum, a shifting of the rod i5 one index to the right, as shown inFig. 5, and the aligning of the wide points ill with the needles Y, Fig.8. The movement of the rods in relation to the camis from I to 2 (Fig.5), the rod 29 not being shifted.

At the end of this shifting movement of the rods l5 and 29, with the droller on the top of its D3 rises, the roller b is on the low portion ofits cam at E3, the points It being away from the needles as shown inFig. 9, but shifted from the X to the Y needles. Upon further rotationof the cam shaft the b roller will rise up its incline at B3 and therebymove the points l8 toward the needles, as shown in Fig. 10. By thistime, the narrowing machine roller a has reached the A position, so thatimmediately thereafter the narrowing machine goes down, followed by anup movement.

When the narrowing machine rollers a reach the :0 position, at whichtime the end of the points are again just above the knockover bits andcan therefore be shifted sideways, therollers'b are at the B4 position,continued movement of the cam shaft causing these rollers to move downtheir cam decline and in this manner move the points are so'separated,the roller (1 rises up its D5 incline, thereby racking the shiftingmecha- 'nism for the rods l5 and 29, moving these rods into theirposition 3, Fig. 5. The rod 29 which controls the points 32, moves tothe left, so that these points will in the next' loop shifting movementcontact with Y instead of Xneedles, while the rod i5 moves to the lefttwo indexes, thereby causing the respective points l8 to align withtheir points 32, both points being in line with each other as shown inFig. 9, only being aligned with Y needles instead of X needles.

Continued rotation of'the cam shaft past the B5 position will cause theb rollers to lock the points together, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7, readyI for the next loop shifting movement. The just described in and out andsidewise movement of the points has taken place between the z and the a:position marked on the narrowing cam, Fig. 3.

The cam shaft is shifted endwise again at the :r."

with a series of needles and their cooperating knitting elements, of acam shaft for the machine, a narrowing machine frame actuated from saidcam shaft to move toward and away from the needles in a linesubstantially lengthwise of the needles, a series of loop liftingpoints, a support for said points pivotally mounted on the frame, and astationary guiding member, said support and guiding member havingcooperating cam and follower surfaces for determining the angularposition of said support and points mounted thereon during the movementof said frame. 2. In a flat knitting machine, the combination with aseries of needles and their cooperating knitting elements, of anarrowing machine frame movable toward and away from the needles in aline substantially lengthwise of the needles, a series of loop liftingpoints, a support for said points pivotally mounted on the frame, aguiding member arranged to turn about a stationary pivot, said supportand guiding member having cooperating cam and follower surfaces fordetermining the angular position of said support and points mountedthereon during the move movable toward and away from the needles in aabout a stationary pivot, a plurality of loop engaging point holderspivotally supported thereon, downwardly extending arms connected toswing with said holders about their pivotal mounting on the narrowingframe, cooperating upwardly Y extending guide levers pivoted on a fixedportion of the machine frame, cam and follower surfaces formedrespectively on each of said arms and cooperating guide levers tocontrol the forward and back position of the points during up and downmovements thereoftwith the frame, and means for controllingthe angularposition of said guide levers including means for moving one of saidguide leversto vary the forward and back position of thepointscontrolled thereby with relation to the needles.

5. In a flat knitting machine having a series of needles and cooperatingknitting elements, a loop engaging point holder, a frame on which saidholder is pivotally mounted, said frame having a pivotal mounting'topermit movement of the holder toward and away from the needleslongitudinally of the needle shanks, a lever arm connected to swing withthe holder about its pivot, and an upwardly extending guide leversupported on a fixed portion of the machine and having a guiding groovearranged for engagement with a follower surface on said lever arm tocontrol the forward and back position of the. holder during up and downmovements of the frame.

6. ma flat knitting machine having a series of needles and cooperatingknitting elements, a loop engaging point holder, a frame on which saidholder is pivotally mounted, said frame having a pivotal mounting topermit movement of the holder toward and away from the needleslongitudinally of theneedle shanks, a lever arm connected to swing withthe holder about its pivot, an upwardly extending guide lever supportedon a fixed portion of the machine and hating a guiding groove arrangedfor engagement with a follower on said lever arm to control theforward-and-back position of the holder during upand-down movements ofthe frame, and means for moving the guide lever about its pivot to varythe forward and back position of the points with relation to theneedles.

7. In a flat knitting machine having a series of needles and cooperatingknitting elements, a loop engaging point holder, a frame comprising arock shaft on which said holder is supported and in turn supported tomove about a fixed pivot to raise and lower the holder with relation tothe needles, a downwardly extending lever secured to the rock shaft, anupwardly extending guide lever pivotally supported on a stationaryportion of the machine, said lever arm and guide lever havingcooperating cam and follower surfaces to control the forward and backposition of the holder and points during vertical movements thereof withthe frame, and means for maintaining said holder yieldingly in one oftwo alternate operative and inoperative positions on said rock shaft.

MAX C. MILLER.

